New bacteria may help oil spill cleanup

From vacuums to bacteria, scientists are increasingly looking for more organic ways to clean up oil spills, and researchers in Oregon may have just made a significant leap forward.

The most dangerous parts of an oil spill are the highly toxic PAH particles - polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These are the agents that cause cancer, mutations, kill wildlife, induce reproductive problems and even degrade the human nervous system.

But a new bacteria developed at Oregon State University may help to break down PAH particles faster and safer than has ever been possible.

The bacteria produce rhamnolipids, a natural, non-toxic and entirely biodegradable substance that breaks down PAHs before they have a chance to hurt the surrounding ecosystem.

While it's not going to get rid of the thick gooey mess on beaches, it will go a long way to making it a non-toxic gooey mess.

"Some of the most toxic aspects of oil to fish, wildlife and humans are from PAHs," said Xihou Yin, a researcher working on the project.

"They can cause cancer, suppress immune system function, cause reproductive problems, nervous system effects and other health issues. This particular strain of bacteria appears to break up and degrade PAHs better than other approaches we have available."

The bacteria itself has been around for years. It was discovered in China in soil that had been contaminated by oil. But with some technical wizardry, Yin and his team have managed to make the bacteria - dubbed NY3 - produce ten thousand times more of the key ingredient than it normally would.

That key ingredient, rhamnolipid, is what oil spill cleanup crews can get excited about.

Traditionally, petrol-based products called surfactants are used to disperse oil spills and help get rid of the most toxic elements. But these surfactants are themselves toxic and harmful to wildlife as well as surrounding populations.

Rhamnolipids, on the other hand, are completely safe to all life and break down naturally. Therein lies the appeal.

"Compared to their chemically synthesized counterparts, microbial surfactants show great potential for useful activity with less environmental risk," the researchers wrote in their report.

But as with most advances, the biggest barrier is cost. Using the oil-based surfactants is currently much cheaper than using rhamnolipids produced by bacteria in a lab.

³The real bottleneck to replacing synthetic chemicals with biosurfactants like rhamnolipid is the high cost of production,² Yin said.

Luckily, the crew in Oregan are not the only ones looking for more effective oil cleanup practices.

A group in California is developing better oil-skimming machines in the hopes of separating oil from water in one pass with a boat.

Another research project in San Francisco is using hair from barber shops pressed into mats that absorb oil remarkably well. The oil-soaked mats are then used to grow a special variety of mushroom that breaks down the toxic elements. What's left at the end of a couple months is all-natural compost.

Even movie stars are getting on the oil cleanup bandwagon. Kevin Costner recently promoted the idea of using centrifuges to separate oil from water at the site of the spill using technology from a company he has heavily sponsored.